This invention relates to improved golf clubs, and more particularly, to an improved golf club which includes a light generator for generating light beams outwardly from the striking surface of the club to convey to the user information with regard to the proper trajectory of the swing. The invention relates particularly to putters and to control of the proper attitude of the putter face relative to the ball surface during the back swing, at impact, and during follow-through. When applied to other clubs, the concepts of the invention may extend to other aspects of the golf swing, such as the force of the swing to accomplish the golf shot desired.
Golf clubs of a variety of designs have been heretofore proposed. U.S. Pat. No. 5,165,691 issuing to Jon C. Cook on Nov. 24, 1992, discloses a laser golf club putter assembly having singular or parallel beams. U.S. Pat. No. 5,082,282 issuing to Joseph Hernberg on Jan. 21, 1992 discloses a dual light source golf swing trainer. U.S. Pat. No. 5,217,228 issuing to Juan De Agullar on Jun. 8, 1993 discloses a golf club light beam orienting device. U.S. Pat. No. 5,169,150 issuing to John Tindale on Dec. 8, 1992 discloses a putting stroke correcting device.
However, most golf club designs do not include any device to improve one's golf swing or to measure the force of the swing. It is well known that the successful strike of a ball by a golf club is dependent solely upon the alignment or orientation of the club head at the point of contact with the ball. If the hitting surface at the point of contact is anything but perfectly square or normal to the target line, then the ball will not travel to the intended target. The distance the ball will travel is well known to be dependent solely upon the force that the golf club strikes the ball. Furthermore, it is generally accepted that the impact surface of the club head should remain square, or normal, to the target line during both the back swing and the forward swing of the club.
In order to maintain the impact surface square to the target line, it is necessary to rotate one's hands in and anti-clockwise direction (for a right-handed person) in the back swing, and then to rotate the hands in a clockwise direction during the forward swing such that the club head arrives at the square position at the point of impact, and then to continue rotating one's hands in a clockwise direction during the follow-through so as to again maintain the club head in a square position.
Such movement of the club head during the back swing and the forward swing and the follow-through is extremely difficult to achieve, and thus, it is highly desirable to provide an improved golf club having means thereon which allows the golfer to visually see errors in the swing and to correct the same.
It is also highly desirable to provide an improved golf club in which the trajectory of the golf swing may be aligned and measured and any errors indicated to the golfer such that the golfer may make corrections in the swing and ultimately arrive at, or perfect, the desired golf shot.
As the golfer is viewing the club head from some distance, and given that the point of observation does not change and the club head moves back and forth through the golf swing, the perspective is such that it its extremely difficult to gauge the position of the club head with respect to the target line. In the past, devices have been proposed which indicate the orientation of the club head with respect to the target. These devices include light sources that direct a beam of light which is parallel to the intended target line. Such will indicate a position to which the club head is being aimed provided there is a surface onto which the light beam may project. However, such devices are not convenient to allow a person to readily ascertain the orientation of the club head impact surface during the back swing through the follow-through.
The foregoing criteria are particularly applicable to the use of putters. Thus, maintaining the striking face of the putter square to the target line, especially at impact, is extremely important. Any improvement which would allow a golfer to keep such a square position during the backward and forward movements of putting would virtually guarantee a proper attitude of the putter face at impact and would be of great benefit to golfers.
It is also highly desirable to provide an improved golf club which enables the golfer to be confident of the initial aim at the target and the execution of the swing during play. Enhanced practice can achieve that goal.
Club alignment is not easily visualized. Thus, it is highly desirable to provide an improved golf club having means by which club alignment can be better visualized by the golfer.
It is also highly desirable to provide an improved golf club having all of the above desired features.